The war has indeed just begun. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

After the pottery merchants captured Changyi and surrendered Chen Qun, they joined the follow-up main forces of soldiers and horses, gathered 30,000 cavalry troops, marched west along Jishui all the way, and went straight to Yanzhou to settle Tao.

Dingtao City is the seat of Jiyin County, located at the intersection of Jishui and Surabaya, and has been the main point of water and land in the Central Plains since ancient times.

From Dingtao City all the way to the east, you can arrive at Changyi in a few days, and then go south along Surabaya, you can go straight to Xiaopei and enter Xuzhou.

And from Dingtao to the west along Jishui, it can cross the hinterland of Yanzhou, until it reaches the westernmost Fengqiu City in the state, and meets Pushui.

That is to say, as long as the potters took Dingtao and marched all the way west, they could cut Yanzhou in half and cut off the connection between the north and the south.

If you want to seize the Central Plains, you must first take Yanzhou, and if you want to seize Yanzhou, you must take the heavy town of Dingtao.

The potters led a large army and rushed straight to Dingtao City, while Cao Ren collected the defeated troops and resisted step by step to delay the potters' march.

At the same time, Cao Cao, who was in Xudu and was brewing an eastward expedition to Xuzhou, received the news of the fall of Changyi and the large-scale invasion of pottery merchants.

Frightened, Cao Cao was only afraid that Tao would be lost, so he immediately ordered an army of 50,000 cavalry and marched eastward under the stars and nights.

With Cao Cao's resourcefulness, it is naturally not difficult to judge that after the pottery merchants capture Changyi, they will definitely wave their troops along the Jishui River to the west and go straight to Dingtao.

Cao Cao then ran non-stop, running wildly all the way, and finally rushed to Dingtao City before the pottery merchants.

As soon as Cao Cao's front foot entered Dingtao, the scouts sent back the news that the vanguard army of the pottery merchants had been killed to a position twenty miles east of Dingtao City.

The news of Cao Cao's arrival in Dingtao soon reached the hands of the pottery merchants, who immediately ordered the whole army to stop marching, and chose favorable terrain to camp in the north bank of Jishui.

failed to rush to Dingtao City before Cao Cao, and the potters did not have many regrets.

With Cao Cao's strength, it is already a big surprise to be able to be preempted by the pottery merchants, kill Cao Ren, and snatch Xia Changyi.

The potters were ready to fight Cao Cao on the Dingtao line, so they strengthened the camp on the one hand, and ordered the rear to transport grain and grass from Xuzhou by water.

……

In the afternoon, before the potter's butt was still hot, Cao Cao's messenger came and handed him an invitation to meet him tomorrow on the banks of the Jishui River.

"We and Cao Cao have reached the point of life and death, what else is there to meet at this time, maybe there is fraud in this, and it is better for the husband not to go." Mulan looked suspicious.

The potter pondered for a moment, but shook his head and said: "The biggest enemy between me and Cao Cao now is actually Yuan Shao, this confrontation is impatient for me, if this meeting can say that Cao Cao can withdraw his troops, and the two families will deal with Yuan Shao together, it is naturally the best, and this opportunity cannot be missed." ”

The potters are familiar with history, and of course they know that with Yuan Shao's strength, they will be able to defeat Gongsun Chan and unify the land of Hebei Sanzhou by the end of this year at the latest.

According to Yuan Shao's character, after unifying Hebei, he would immediately move south to capture the Central Plains.

Therefore, there is not much time left for Cao Cao and him.

At this time, if the two of them could shake hands and make peace, with Cao Cao fighting Yuan Shao in the front, and the pottery merchants attacking Qingzhou from the direction of Xuzhou and attacking Yuan Shao's flank, the situation would be very favorable to them.

If he and Cao Cao compete with each other, if they are destroyed in a short period of time, if they fall into a stalemate, or when both sides are defeated, Yuan Shao will have already gone south, and their strength will be greatly damaged, and they will not be able to recover their vitality, what will they use to confront Yuan Shao.

It was in consideration of the overall situation that the potter decided to seize this opportunity, and if he could convince Cao Cao, it would naturally be the best.

At that time, when the two of them repelled Yuan Shao together, and when he captured Qingzhou, sat firmly in Huainan, and had full wings, it was the best time to start with Cao Cao.

The potter replied to the envoy and agreed to Cao Cao's invitation to meet.

……

Dingtao City.

Cao Cao sat on the top, holding the potter in his hand and replied, with a trace of appreciation on his burnt face, "This kid is very brave, I didn't expect that Tao Lian's old dog could give birth to such a son, it is really blind." ”。

Cao Cao sent this invitation, mainly to test the potter, but he didn't expect the potter to agree so happily.

Liu Bei, who was sitting on the side, rolled his eyes secretly a few times, moved closer to Cao Cao, and said in a low voice: "Cao Sikong, since that kid is so crazy, why don't we take advantage of the meeting tomorrow to secretly set up an ambush and knock that kid down in one fell swoop." ”

Ambush!

Cao Cao's body was shocked, and in an instant, a trace of excitement flashed in his sunken eyes, as if he was moved by Liu Bei's words.

Immediately afterwards, Cao Cao shook his head again and said: "Lonely is a great Han Sikong, since he invited him to meet, he should be upright, how can he do such a detrimental act to his reputation, Xuande's plan is inappropriate." ”

Liu Bei didn't give up, and continued: "The father of the pottery thief killed Ling Zun, as the so-called father's debt is repaid by the son, Sikong is to avenge his father, and it is not an exaggeration to kill the pottery thief by any means, after all, my Han is to rule the country with filial piety." ”

Cao Cao's eyes moved, and he was silent, obviously moved again.

Liu Bei saw his thoughts, and got a little closer, and said: "Yuan Shao is about to destroy Gongsun Zhan, once he unifies Hebei, he will inevitably move south, if Sikong can't pacify Xuzhou, he can't concentrate all his strength to fight with Yuan Shao. ”

Cao Cao's lips squirmed slightly, his eyes changed, and his heart was obviously deeply moved by Liu Bei's words.

"Sikong set up an ambush to kill the pottery thief, filial piety is for private reasons, loyalty is loyalty to the country, such a loyal and filial piety, what else can Sikong hesitate about." In the end, Liu Bei already had a righteous and awe-inspiring face.

Syllable!

Cao Cao slapped the case a few times, his expression was resolute, and the murderous intention was gloomy and awe-inspiring, and he was about to agree to Liu Bei's invitation.

Unexpectedly, Cao Cao took a deep breath and sighed: "Lone also knows that Xuande's plan is a strategy for both loyalty and filial piety, but in addition to loyalty and filial piety, there is also a righteous word, I, Cao Cao, will never be untrustworthy and unrighteous, and when I met with Tao Shang, I ambushed him." ”

Liu Bei's excited expression immediately became disappointed, but he didn't expect that Cao Cao was still so pedantic after spending a lot of time.

Just when Liu Bei was disappointed, Cao Cao changed his words and said meaningfully: "However, if something happens to the pottery thief after the meeting, it is what he did, which angered the heavens, and even the heavens will punish him." ”

After the meeting?

Liu Bei looked at Cao Cao again, his eyes were full of excitement again, as if he had figured out the mystery of Cao Cao's words.

"Xuande, do you understand the meaning of loneliness?" Cao Cao smiled playfully at him.

Liu Bei suddenly realized, a sneer rose at the corner of his mouth, and he arched his hand: "Sikong is smart, I know what to do." ”